Everyone, listen up! It’s finally here! The superhero movie everyone has been waiting all year for, no it isn’t a new Batman movie. It’s not Captain America or Spider-Man, audiences around the world have just been dying to see the next installment in the Thor franchise, “Thor: Ragnarok!” See, that doesn’t roll off the tongue really well. In the many years since the Marvel Cinematic Universe started, Thor was never really the biggest draw. His first movie is pretty good in hindsight but that 2nd movie was abysmal. He always had a few funny lines in the Avengers movies but he was also just “that mystical character.” So a big question these last couple months has been: why are audiences suddenly so stoked on Thor? Seriously, I’ve heard people say that this is one of their most anticipated movies of 2017 and I have to agree with them... there was a lot of hype surrounding this movie for good reasons. I remember when I first watched the trailer thinking that the last thing we needed was ANOTHER Thor movie, but there were too many promising aspects to keep me away.

First of all the director is doing something completely out of his comfort zone and knocks it out of the park, Taika Waititi has only made smaller independent films in New Zealand. He’s most known for “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and “What We Do in the Shadows” which are both really great comedies. I think it’s awesome that he was given the opportunity to have some fun with the superhero genre. Another thing that got audiences excited about “Thor: Ragnarok” was the inclusion of The Incredible Hulk! Now that’s a way to sell your movie, the Hulk is easily one of the most recognized characters in the superhero genre but due to weird licensing rights he hasn’t been able to have a solo movie since the Edward Norton one in 2008. He’s one of the standout characters in both Avengers movies and the future of that character was left very ambiguous at the end of the 2nd Avengers.

Also, Chris Hemsworth has definitely gone a long way since his first appearance as Thor in 2011. Like I mentioned earlier, that first movie still holds up today but he definitely found his groove and plays a very charismatic, funny and badass Thor in “Ragnarok.” Alright, let’s see what we have here: a charming Chris Hemsworth, The Incredible Hulk, a funny and dedicated director, what else is missing…? Oh I know, Jeff Goldblum of course! This movie had everything going for it just with the trailers alone, I was curious if the movie would live up to that hype.

Well, it did. The movie was such a wild ride and truly took you on a journey. There are so many different locations, each with stunning unique visuals (except when they’re just on the streets of NYC.) They really ramped up the weird cosmic aspect that was introduced in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies. Well, I don’t know if I should say that, the first Thor movie opened up the idea of cosmic elements in these Marvel movies but “Guardians” really stuck well with audiences and showed you can deliver plenty of laughs and enough drama while working with odd, out-of-the-ordinary characters like talking trees and aliens. One of the funniest characters in “Ragnarok” is a rock creature named Korg, he’s definitely going to be an audience-favorite...this again shows that some charm and good writing can make even the most absurd characters likable. Korg is also played by the director himself, Taika Waititi.

There’s so much I want to say but I don’t want to give away jokes or plot points that hit really well experiencing them for the first time. There are so many jokes piled in this movie you might accidentally miss a line or two depending on the enthusiasm of the audience you’re seeing it with. Some references and call-backs to the first two Avengers movies hit really well to fans but there are also just random jokes thrown in that seemed to make everyone laugh at least once.

Every cast member had a moment to shine, nobody really seemed to be wasted. Tom Hiddleston was great as Loki, especially seeing The Hulk for the first time in the Coliseum scene. Cate Blanchett as Hela was really great, she was chewing up the scenery and clearly having a good time playing this badass, seemingly unstoppable villain. The Hulk had a lot of funny lines while he was the big monster but I also really enjoyed the scenes where he was back in his human form, played by Mark Ruffalo. Tessa Thompson played a really interesting character, Valkyrie, especially in those flashbacks of the battle between the Valkyries and Hela, the art and the cinematic visuals were amazing in that particular sequence.

Anthony Hopkins as Odin was pretty good, despite getting little screen time. I’d say his best scene was actually at the beginning when Loki was in disguise as Odin, seeing Hopkins have to change from his serious father figure performance to a trickster was really amusing. Obviously, Jeff Goldblum was amazing, it felt like they just told him to play himself but as the leader of a weird space planet. He was totally hamming it up, I hope it’s not the last we see of him in these Marvel movies.

I thought it was pretty funny how much they completely wiped their hands clean of Natalie Portman. I don't think she was necessarily a bad aspect in the past Thor movies but she wasn't always that important to the plot. I vaguely remember that they tried to make her more prominent in the 2nd movie but it just didn't work out too well. "Ragnarok" completely writes her out with just one or two lines, basically comprising of "Oh, I can't believe Jane broke up with you," "Well I broke up with her." That's it, no more questions asked. Natalie Portman's character definitely would've felt out of place in this movie so it's a good thing. It's not like she had any powers or anything.

I left out a few cameos and particular scenes because (as I mentioned earlier) some things are the best scene for the first time in the theater. The trailers for this movie did spoil a lot of cool moments, but they still managed to hit me with some amazing sequences I didn’t see coming. I’d go into this movie knowing little about it, all you need to know is that it’s a really funny comedy involving the God of Thunder. The movie isn’t too complex to follow, you just have to be able to open your mind to weird concepts, locations, and creatures. I feel like “Ragnarok” is similar to how people viewed “Flash Gordon” in 1980.

Actually, “Ragnarok” seems like an attempt to do “Flash Gordon again” for the modern times...both can be cheesy at times but deliver a really satisfying space adventure with a likable protagonist. I’d definitely watch this if you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, particular the “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Avengers” movies. I wouldn’t even say you NEED to see any of the other Thor movies,”Ragnarok” explained everything pretty well and I don’t think new viewers would be lost.

Oh, and like with every Marvel movie, don’t leave during the credits, stick to the very end. The last scene with Jeff Goldblum is so abrupt and hilarious, a perfect way to end the movie.